Reverse transport for flexible sheets



Sept. 20, 1966 R. E. TAYLOR, JR 3,

REVERSE TRANSPORT FOR FLEXIBLE SHEETS Filed Dec. 9, 1,964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVE/VTOf? RUEL E. TAYLOR JR ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1966 R. E. TAYLOR, JR

REVERSE TRANSPORT FOR FLEXIBLE SHEETS Filed Dec. 9, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG?) RUEL E. TAYLOR JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofihce 3,273,886 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 3,273,886 REVERdE TRANSPURT FOR FLEXIBLE SHEETS Ruel E. Taylor, in, South Windham, Maine, assignor to S. 11 Warren Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 417,182 6 Claims. (Cl. 271-45) This invention relates generally to flexible sheet transporting apparatus and, more particularly, to a flexible sheet transport in which sheets traveling at high speed are arrested and made to travel in an opposite direction with a lower speed, if desired, for the purpose of accommodating the handling of flexible sheets and for a convenient space layout for the overall machine.

In the handling of high speed flexible sheets such as high quality paper in which the sheets are formed by cutting from a web of paper unrolled from a continuous supply with inspection for defects and the sorting of good and bad sheets into separate piles, the problem arises of slowing the sheets from their high speed of travel to a position of rest in the respective layboy piles for both the good and bad sheets. One way of meeting this problem is to extend the conveyor path for good sheets beyond the conveyor path for reject sheets and to have the good paper path above the reject paper path with adjacent layboys at the end of each path to receive the respective sheets. This arrangement of necessity extends the overall length of the paper finishing machine by the additional length required to accommodate the two adjacent layboys at the end of the machine.

Another way to accommodate the two paper paths is to provide a sufficiently elevated position for the good paper transport to permit the reject paper layboy to occupy a position beneath the overall machine. This arrangement has been accomplished in the past by employing a large diameter turn-around drum for the sheets so that the tape transport guides the reject sheets below the good paper path to an input position tangent to the turn-around drum and a conveyor running in the opposite direction receives the sheets after they have proceeded 180 degrees around the drum to reverse their direction of travel. It has been found that this curvature in the sheets is a detriment to subsequent handling of the sheets which have experienced the turn-around step in the travel to their particular layboy position and, in addition, the sheets are in inverted position in the layboy clue to the fact that they have reversed direction in this manner which may be a detriment in certain circumstances where coated papers are used.

It is the primary feature of the present invention to provide a sheet reversing transport which accepts high speed paper sheets or other flexible sheets having substantially no inherent strength in their physical characteristics, but which, nevertheless, must be transported at high speed to maintain the production rates necessary for economical processing under present day conditions. The reversing apparatus of the present invention permits a high speed sheet to be gradually slowed and transferred from a conveyor traveling in one direction to a conveyor traveling in the opposite direction without damage to the head end of the high speed sheet as it hits the arresting means or interference with sheets that are traveling in the opposite direction on the low speed conveyor.

In the particular disclosure of the present invention the reverse transport is disclosed as in the reject paper path of the machine and hence can be located directly beneath the good paper path with the layboy for the reject sheets which have been reversed in direction occupying a position beneath the normal good paper path in the machine. Thus the overall length of the machine is confined to that which is dictated by the length of the transports and only one layboy at the end of the machine paper sheets.

The foregoing and other features and objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of the reject paper path portion of a machine showing the reverse transport system in relation to a fragmentary showing of the good paper path;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation detail of the sheet transfer and reversing system shown in a somewhat larger scale than the view of FIG. 1; and FIIIGZ. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Referring now to FIG. 1, a brief description of the invention will be given with its relation to the environment of the machine in which it is located. As an example of such machine, cut sheets may be presented to a reject gate 11 which is shown in its normal position to permit good sheets to pass over the reject gate 11 into a good paper path 12 from which they are ultimately deposited in a layboy 13 at the end of the transport path. Defective sheets are rejected by the reject gate 11 being raised to an elevated position to direct the defective sheets into a reect paper path 14. The path 14 consists of a bottom tape transport 15 having atop run 16 and a tape transport 17 having a bottom run 18. The sheets rejected by the reject gate 11 enter the reject path 14 and travel between the runs 16 and 18 at the speed of the conveyors 15 and 17 which is generally the high speed limit of the machine and somewhat faster than the web feed speed to the cutter (not shown).

The bottom run 18 has an extension 19 beyond the final limits of the lower conveyor 15 defined by rollers 21 about which the tapes of the conveyor 15 turn. The extension 19 of the bottom run 18 extends to the point where the tapes turn around a set of rollers 22. Underlying the extension 19 and the conveyor 15 is a conveyor 23 having a top run 24 which travels in a direction opposite to the direction in which the bottom run extension 19 is moving. The top run 24 of the conveyor 23 extends to a roller 25 from which sheets on the conveyor 23 are deposited in a layboy 26 which is generally located directly beneath the portion of the machine associated with reject gate 11.

The general position of the top run 24 is the adjustable height of a set of rollers 27 and a pair of rollers 28 and 29 which are also adjustable in vertical position. The adjustment in vertical position of the rollers 28 and 29 and the rollers 27 is chosen to make the top run 24 slope downwardly to the left and as a consequence the space between the bottom run 19 and the top run 24 converges toward the right to a region in the vicinity of rollers 31 Where the two tape runs 19 and 24 are running in substantially the same horizontal plane. In this region above the rollers 31 the present invention provides a transfer mechanism generally designated as 32 for achieving the transfer of sheets running unsupported with the bottom run 19 from left-to-right to sheets traveling from right-to-left on the top run 24 of the conveyor 23.

As indicated in FIG. 1, high speed sheets 33 are projected by the tape runs 16 and 18 to run with the bottom run 1h toward the transfer mechanism 32. The transfer mechanism transfers these sheets to run on the top run 24 toward the layboy 26 and successive sheets 34 and 35 will be overlapped by virtue of the relative length of the sheets, the length of the runs 19 and 24, and the relative speeds of the conveyors 17 and 23. The mechanism of the transfer of the bottom run 19 to the top run 24will be more readily understood by reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the preferred transfer for receiving good determined by 0, J mechanism 32 will be seen to be made up of a relatively flat triangular metal plate 36 which is located between the tape runs 19 and 24. The triangular plate 36 has one apex 37 located between adjacent tapes of the tape runs 19 and 24 approximately at the vertical center line through the tape transport path.

The triangular plate 36 is supported by a vertical plate 38 which is suspended from a fixed support 39 by means of suitable adjusting mechanism 41 for longitudinal adjustment of the position and means 42 for vertical height adjustment. The forward end of the plate 38 has a projection 43 which is bored to receive a pin 44 for pivotally supporting a pair of plates 45 and 46 on opposite sides of the projection 43. The plates 45 and 46 have projections 47 which overlap a portion of the plate 38 to permit a pivotal motion of the plates 45 and 46 about the pin 44 While the entire assembly is maintained substantially in the plane of the plate 38. For this purpose a suitable height adjusting mechanism 48 may be supported from the main support for plate 38 by means of a cantilever 4-9. The plates 45 and 46 are secured near the apex 37 as by welding to the plate 36 in order to make the apex 37 adjustable in height and thereby gradually curved as at 4-9 to be elevated above the plane of the plate 36 which is between the region of tapes 19 and 24 where they substantially merge in a common plane. The actual need for the height adjusting mechanism 48 to establish the degree of curvature 49 for the apex portion 37 may be eliminated if a fixed amount of curvature is determined to be satisfactory in a given installation. In this instance any suit able means for supporting the plate 36 and the curved apex portion 37 so that the plate 36 occupies the space between tapes 19 and 24 where they merge and the apex portion 37 projects up through the tapes 19 to be above the plane occupied by the tapes 19 will be satisfactory.

The roller 31 for supporting the tapes 24 is in sliding contact with the under surface of the plate 36 thereby assuring a sliding grip of incoming sheets against the stationary plate 36 and in contact with the moving tapes 24 to carry the incoming sheets off in the opposite direction at the speed at which the tapes 24 move. The contact pressure between the tapes 24 and the under side of the plate 36 is a matter of adjustment for a particular grade of paper and paper speed as well as other operating conditions and for this purpose the roller 31 should be supported for vertical adjustment as indicated in FIG. 2 by the directional arrows on the axis of the roller 31. Any suitable mechanism for this purpose may be employed, such as screw jack adjustments supporting the end bearings in which the roller 31 is journalled. As indicated in FIG. 3 the tapes 19 pass over the top of the plate 36 and hence are not affected by the operation of the roller 31. The sheet is thus not subjected to any forces tending to move it from left-to-right in FIGS. 2 and 3 by contact with the tapes 19 when the sheet arrives at the nip formed between the tapes 24 above the roller 31 and the under surface of the sheet 36.

An independent stop for the paper sheets may be provided which can be used either alone or in conjunction With the apparatus just described for arresting oncoming sheets on the tape run 19. This paper arresting apparatus comprises a pair of weights 53 pendulously suspended from a fixed support 54 by means of a flexible fabric Web 55. The width of the web 55 and the size of the weights 53 is such that they can hang freely through the spaces between the adjacent tapes of tape transports 19 and 24 to form a barrier directly across the path of the oncoming sheets on the tape run 19. The pendulous stops 53, 54, and 55 arrest paper sheets by having the head end of the sheet hit the flexible web 55 and absorb the energy and momentum of the sheet by lifting the Weight 53 and deflecting the flexible tape 55 as the entire assembly pivots around the fixed support 54. Under the influence of gravity, in the absence of the plate 36, sheets following conveyor run 19 will fall into the conveyor run 24 and be carried away in the direction from right-to-left in the drawings while the pendulous support 53 and 55 returns to its normal vertical position for intercepting the next sheet.

As previously stated, the pendulous stops, 53, 54 and 55, may be used alone in the region where the tapes 19 and 24- merge or the previously described transfer mechanism associated with plate 36 may be used alone or both types may be used together as shown in the drawings. In the presently operating form of the apparatus, both types are used together to provide the maximum reliability for stopping the sheet under all conditions of paper speed and types of paper to provide satisfactory reverse transport of reject sheets in the paper finishing machine.

The operation of the overall mechanism will now be described. Pap-er sheets without defects are cut from a continuous web and transferred across the reject gate 11 into the conveyor 12 and ultimately to the layboy 13 using an overlap conveyor or not as required. The inspection of the web detects defects in the sheets as cut and these defective sheets may be rejected 'by elevating the reject gate 11 to deflect such defective sheets into the conveyor 14 where they proceed along the projection 19 without underlying support as indicated by the sheet 33 which is traveling at the speed of the bottom run 19 in the direction from left-to-right in FIG. 1. The presence of the apex 37 of the triangular plate 36 above the plane occupied by the bottom run 19 insures that the sheets will be intercepted and guided by the curved portion 49 to run below the plate 36 and by this action be gradually :peeled away from the tape run 19 and deposited on the tape run 24 which is moving in a direction opposite to that of the tape run 19. Specifically the'tapes 24 are running from rightto-left in the figures of the drawing. As the sheet 33 is peeled from the tapes 19 by the action of the plate 36, it proceeds to the nip formed by the roller 31 and the bottom of plate 36 to thereby have the frictional force of engagement with the tapes 24 applied thereto for completely arresting the sheet and starting it moving from right-to-left on the tapes 24 as indicated by the sheets 34 and 35 in FIG. 1. If the reject sheets arrive in succession, the stream of sheets moving on the run 24 will actually be overlapped as indicated by the sheets 34 and 35 in FIG. 1. When the pendulous supports 53, 54 and 55 are employed, the roller 31 can be adjusted to initiate the arresting force on the incoming sheet 33 but the final energy of the sheet will be absorbed by deflecting the straps 55 and the weights 53 supported thereby to provide in effect a limit stop beyond which the sheet cannot travel in the direction from left-to-right. If the pendulous stops 53 are not employed the friction applied by the roller 31 can be increased by elevating the adjusted position of the roller 31 to press more tightly the tapes 24- against the under surface of the plate 36. In this manner the tape transport 23 is able to deliver sheets to the layboy 26 which occupies the position underneath the portion of the machine preceding reject gate 11 thereby permitting the entire machine to be considerably more compact than if the successive layboy-s are required at the right hand end of the machine.

The invention will now be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. The invention is, accordingly, to be considered as including such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A reverse transport for flexible sheets comprising a first tape transport having a bottom run extension along which sheets delivered by said first tape transport travel without underlying support, a second tape transport having a top run underlying said bottom run and converging therewith to place said top and bottom runs in substantially the same plane at the end of said extension, said top run traveling in the direction opposite to the direction of said bottom run, and means located in the region near said end of said extension for transferring said flexible sheets traveling in one direction with said bottom run to said top run of said second tape transport to be traveling in the opposite direction on said top run of said second tape transport.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for transferring said flexible sheets comprises a flat plate located between said top and bottom runs, and an upwardly curved guide extending from said plate in the direction of the oncoming sheets traveling said bottom run, the width of said curved guide tapering sufficiently to permit the guide to project between the tapes of said bottom run to a position above said tapes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said plate and curved guide are formed from a triangular shaped plate having one apex of the plate curved upwardly to form said guide.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 and including pendulous stops depending between the tapes of said top and bottom runs at the opposite edges of said flat plate.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for transferring said flexible sheets comprises pendulous stops depending between the tapes of said top and bottom runs to act as a stop for flexible sheets traveling in the direction of said bottom run.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said pendulous stops comprise a weight supported below the tapes of said top and bottom runs by a flexible strap depending between said tapes from a fixed support above said top and bottom runs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,663,564 12/1953 Meffert 3,134,183

27l-77 X 5/1964 Duflot 271 X 

1. A REVERSE TRANSPORT FOR FLEXIBLE SHEETS, COMPRISING A FIRST TAPE TRANSPORT HAVING A BOTTOM RUN EXTENSION ALONG WHICH SHEETS DELIVERED BY SAID FIRST TAPE TRANSPORTTRAVEL WITHOUT UNDERLYING SUPPORT, A SECOND TAPE TRANSPORT HAVING A TOP RUN UNDERLYING SAID BOTTOM RUN AND CONVERGING THEREWITH TO PLACE SAID TOP AND BOTTOM RUNS IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE AT THE END OF SAID EXTENSION, SAID TOP RUN TRAVELING IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID BOTTOM RUN, AND MEANS LOCATED IN THE REGION NEAR SAID END OF SAID EXTENSION FOR TRANSFERRING SAID FLEXIBLE SHEETS TRAVELING IN ONE DIRECTION WITH SAID BOTTOM RUN TO SAID TOP RUN OF SAID SECOND TAPE TRANSPORT TO BE TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON SAID TOP RUN OF SAID SECOND TAPE TRANSPORT. 